5
              o
                            T>

  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

        Torrington,  CT


EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.  On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants
through four competitive grant programs: assessment
grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and
job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Torrington was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in northwest
Connecticut, Torrington (population 37,109) developed
as a regional industrial center along the Naugatuck
River, producing machinery, textiles, brass, and hard-
ware. The decline in these industries has left the city
with numerous vacant mill buildings and industrial sites.
Today, the city serves as the regional economic and
public services center for Litchfield County.  Its unem-
ployment and poverty rates are higher than the
county's rates. Since 1990, the Hispanic population of
the city has more than doubled. Many of its disadvan-
taged citizens live in neighborhoods that contain the
majority of the city's brownfields. Assessment of
brownfields is expected to be the first step toward
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected the City of Torrington for two
 brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to perform five
 Phase I and three Phase II environmental site
 assessments and conduct community involvement
 activities. Petroleum grant funds will be used to
 perform the same tasks at sites with potential
 petroleum contamination.
 Contacts
 For further information, including specific grant
 contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
 news and events, and publications and links, visit
 the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
 brownfields.

 EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team
 617-918-1424
 http://www.epa.gov/regionl/brownfields

 Grant Recipient: City of Torrington, CT
 860-496-5920

 The information presented in this fact sheet comes
 from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
 accuracy of this information. The cooperative
 agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
 ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
improving these deteriorating neighborhoods and
expediting redevelopment.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-08-009
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------